Safety parachute attachment fob



J.'H. HALL,

v SAFETY PARACHUTE ATTACHMENT FOR AERO'PLANE'S.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 2?. 191B.

Patented May 13, 1919,

2 SHEETS-SHEET L.

1. H. HALL. SAFETY PARACHUTE ATTACHMENT FOR AEROPLANES. APPLICATlON FlL ED NOV. 27. 1918.

' 1,303,474; I Y Patented May 13, 1919.

2 SHEETSS.HEET 2.

awue/wfioz 5. H. HALL.

Z 5 I 2 H. s. Ms-Q 25 I g I when the' parachutes are collapsed and 1n. 1 inoperative position, which pr'ovldes for housing the collapsed parachutes in such a To all wit omit may concern:

- EESTAW AQLECOP UNITED STATES. PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN HARVEY HALL, OF WELLINGTON, COLORADO;

Be it known that I, JOHN HARVEY HALL,

' a citizen of the United States, residing at Wellington,- in the county of Larimer, State of Colorado, have invented a new and use ful Safety Parachute Attachment for Aeroplanes; and I do hereby declare the followskilled in the art togwhich i-ng to'bea'fulh cle'ar, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others y it appertains to make and use the samer The present invention relates toa safety parachute attachment for airships,' and has scription and for its object'to provide a device of this character which embodies novel features of construction whereby the parachute can be collapsed and held in an out of the way position when not in use, although it can be quickly released and broughtinto operative plesition intheevent of a mishapto the air sip. v

Further. objectsflof the invention are to providej'a'safety. attachment of this character which doesnot 'interferein any manner with the normal operation of the air ship mannerihat they do not increase the wind resistance to thecraft or interfere with the 'liftingpowers .of the supporting planes, and which is arranged in such a manner that it 3 can be instantly releasedand brought into "operative position by the avlator in the event of an accident.

With these and other objects in view, the

invention consists'inrertain novel combinations and arrangementsof the parts as Will more fully. appear as the description proceeds, the novel features thereof being pointed'out in theappendedc'laims.

For a fullunderstanding of the invention, referenceis to be had to the following dewhich:@ 7 o. I

Figure 1 is a front elevation of an alrship which is provided with a safety attachment constructed in accordance withthe invention, the safety attachment being shown in inoperative position and thebody of the airship appearing in section.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of a portion of .one of the upper supporting planes of the 'airship,showing the parachute as collapsed "and folded in the recessed portion of the plane, the closing flap of the recess being of the parachutes to hold the a lowered position.

accompanying drawings, in

I SAFETY mn-Acnurnnrmncn vinivm FonnEnorLANEs.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented May 1.3, 1919. Application filed November 27,1918. 'Seria1No.26 1,370. a

swung upwardly and portions being broken away to illustrate the details of construc tionmore clearly. i

Fig. 3 is a; longitudinal sectional View through the por-tion'of the supporting plane whichis provided with the recessed portion 1nwh1ch the parachuteis folded when collapsed, portions being broken away.

Fig. a is an elevation of one of the parachutes When swung upwardly and expanded into operative position, portions being brokenaway and shown in sectionto illustrate more clearly the details" ofl=construct1on.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail View of the hinged joint at the lower end of the parachute handle and the spring for swinging the parachute upwardly as soon as released.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view throughthe'intermediate portion of the upper supporting plane, showing the releasing lever and associated mechanism for simultaneously releasing the two parachutes" and the covering flaps of the recesses in which the parachutes are housed when it is 'desiredto bringthe parachutes into operativeposition; Y

Fig. 7' is a detached perspective view of the releasing lever and sliding rods -associ Fig. 9 is a detail view of one of the U- V shaped clips for engaging the swinging'ends parachutes in Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated n all the VleWS of the drawings by the same reference "characters.

For thepurpose of illustration the invention is shown as applied to an aeroplane A which is of the conventional construction,

the supporting planes being formed in the usual manner of frames having fabric coverlngs stretched over the upper andlower surfaces thereof. The upper supporting and as provided at their free edges with secured by stitching 4 at one of their edges,

eyelets. which are releasably engaged by hooks 6to hold the covering flaps normally a closed position. The "parachutes B when in a collapsed condition are folded within the housings 2 and covered by the flaps 3, so that they do not increase the air resistance of the craft and the upper and.

lower surfaces of the supporting planes are substantially smooth and free from project; ing members so that'the lifting power of the planes isnot diminished in any manner.

Each of the parachutes B is formed with I a handle 7 which is fitted at its lower end in a sleeve 8, said sleeve being formed with an ear 9 which is connected by ,a pivot pin 10 to an arm 11 projecting from a ball 12 which isloosely fitted within a socket 13.

These sockets may be formed in complemental sections or halves to facilitate the assemblingthereof in engagement with the 1 balls 12, and suitable fastening means lL is provided for securing the sockets to the bottoms of the housings 2 at the outer ends thereof. The pivot pin 10 is shownasprojecting laterally upon opposite sides of the arm 11 and as having a spiral spring 15 fitted thereon, saidspring normally tending to swing the handle 7 of the'parachute into 'an upright position. 7 g t The fabric cover 16 of each of the para-' chutes B is shown as carried by ribs 17 'whichare connected rods 18 vto a'ferrule rule 19 downwardly against the action of the spring, This ferrule is shown as provided with a flange 22 which is engaged by a detent 23 at the end of a spring arm 24 to lock the parachute in a collapsed condition whenit is folded in the recessed portion or housing of the plane. This spring-arm 24 is secured to the bottom of the housing 2 and retains the detent 23 in engagement with the flange 22 of the ferrule until after the parachute has been swung upwardly and raised out of the housing. The parachute is thus prevented from flying open before it has been raised a sufficient amount for the ribs thereof to clear the upper surface of the plane of the airship when the parachute opens up.

When the two parachutes are collapsed they are folded downwardly into the respective housings 2, the handles thereof swinging upon thepivot pins 10 and bringing the springs 15 under tension. At the same time the detents 23 of the spring arms 24 are brought into engagement with the flanges 22 muse coPY of the ferrules 19, thereby locking the parachutes in a folded condition. The swinging ends of the collapsed parachutes are engaged by U-shapedclips 25 which straddle the same, the arms of the clips extending through openings 26 in the lower surface of the plane and terminating in eyes 27. These eyes 27 are engaged by forks 28 carried by rods 29 which extend in opposite directions from a releasing lever 30, being secured thereto on opposite sides of the pivotal sup-' port 31 for the lever. These'rods 29 also carry slides 32which extend through the respective end portions of the plane 1 at the sidesof the housings2, and from which the before mentioned 'hookmembers 6 project, said; hook members extending upwardly through eyelets 33 in theYupper, fabric, covering of the plane so that they can be moved into and out of engagement with theeyelets.

ver 30 is .pivotally mounted .upon' a suitable 5" of the covering flaps .3. The releasing 1e;

supporting. bracket 34 at'the-middle'portion I I of the upper plane 1 and extends downwardly to a position within easy" reach of an aviator positioned in the body'portion35' of the airship.v Under normal conditions the I parachutes are collapsed andfolded within thehousings 2, beinglocked in a folded position by the U-shaped clips 25 which are en gaged by the forks 28 of the rods29. The

covering flaps 3 are at this time stretched overthe open; upper sides of the housings 2 and held securely in operative position by engagement of the'hoolrso with the eyelets 5 ofthefiaps. In the event ofamishap, or

accident, the aviator has merely to ,graspthe releasing lever 30 and swingthesame. This will result in simultaneously pulling Tinwardly upon the rods 29 and thereby mov} ing the forked arms 28 out ofengagement' with the clips 25 and releasing the hooks 6 from the eyelets 5.. The'covering flaps 3 are thus free to swing upwardlyand. 'do notinterfere with the upward movement andex I panding of ,the parachutes B. vThe springs 15 will operate as vpreviouslydescribed ,to

swing the parachutes upwardly, the de- Y tents 23 at the ends of thespring arms 24 .Will retainthe parachutes in a collapsed condition until they have been moved out of the housings 2 and swung upwardly a sufficient amount so that they can be expandedffwithout danger of the ribs striking upon the plane and possibly being damaged thereby.

As soon as the parachutes are ln an upright ;position and expanded, they will provide a support for the airship and causeit to descend slightly to earth so that a landing can be made without loss of life. 7

Having thus described the invention, what ters Patent, is v 1. parachute attachment for airships,. includlng a collapsible parachute formed I claim as new and desire to secure by Letwith a handle and having a ferrule slidable upon the handle to control the opening and closing of the parachute, means for loosely connecting thezhandle to the airship whereby the parachute can be folded against the airship when not in use, a s ring arm projecting from the airship an provided with a detent which engages the ferrule to lock the parachute in a collapsed condition when it is folded against the airship, said detent remaining in engagement with the ferrule until the handle is partially swung upwardly, means for locking the parachute in a foldedposition, and means for releasing the parachute.

2. A parachute attachment for airships,

' including a collapsible parachute formed with a handle, a pivot ear at the lower end' of the handle,a ball provided with a short arm, a pivot pin connecting the short arm to the ear, a spring applied to the pivot pin and normally tending to swing the handle upwardly, a socket loosely engaging the ball and applied to theairship, means for locking the parachute in a folded position agalnstthe airship, and means for releasing the parachute.

3. The combination with an aeroplanehaving a recessed supporting plane, a covering flap for the recess, a collapsible parachute housed within the recess, means normally tending to move the parachute into operative position, a slide provided with retaining elements adapted to engage the covering flap to hold it in a closed position, a

means including a slide for locking the parachute in the recess, and means for simultaneously moving the two slides to release the parachute and covering flap.

- 4. The combination with an aeroplane formed, with a recessed supporting plane, a covering flap extending across the mouth of the recess and having eyelets in the edge" thereof, a slideprovided with hooked arms which releasably engage the eyelets, a collapsible parachute housed within the recess,

I means normally tending to move the parachute into operative position, locking means including a slide for holding the parachute in a folded condition, and a releasing element operatively connected to both of the slides for simultaneously releasing the para- 5 chute and cover flap.

forked element and slide for simultaneously v releasing the clip and cover flap.

6. The combination with an aeroplane having 'a recessed supporting plane, of a cover flap for the recess, a slide provided with means for releasably engaging the cover flap, a collapsible parachute adapted to be swung downwardly into the recess, means normally tending to swing the para chute upwardly into operative position, a

Y clip engaging the swinging end of the parachute and terminating in eyes which project downwardly through the plane, a forked element engaging, the eyes, a releasing lever, and a rod connected to the releasing lever and carrying both theforked element and the slide whereby the parachute and cover flap are simultaneously released when the lever is operated.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN HARVEY HALL.

Witnessesi E. T. PULESTON, GEORGE W. WELOH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0." i 

